STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1062

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 937

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 937, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an appropriation for the Executive Office on Early Learning to enter into contracts with third-party providers for family-child interaction learning organizations.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Executive Office on Early Learning, Kamehameha Schools, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Hui for Excellence in Education, Parents and Children Together, and thirty-six individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the family is a child's first teacher, and engaging families contributes to healthy brain development, positive learning experiences, and children being ready for school.  Your Committee further finds that the first five years of a child's life are especially important in providing a foundation for future growth and development.  Your Committee additionally finds that access to programs at an early age will help early identification of developmental, social-emotional, and early learning issues.  This measure will empower the Executive Office on Early Learning to more effectively work with the families of Hawaii's young children to provide high quality early learning programs.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the Executive Office on Early Learning may enter into contracts directly with third-party providers of family-child interaction learning programs rather than contracting with organizations to develop and implement such programs; and

 

     (2)  Removing language requiring the programs be part of a mixed-delivery early childhood system.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 937, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 937, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair